tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post801476614656435529..comments2024-03-28T09:22:36.967+13:00Comments on Offsetting Behaviour: Travel ArbitrageEric Cramptonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-6073691407646357812013-11-01T16:00:03.040+13:002013-11-01T16:00:03.040+13:00You've never played. Correct answer: "Sov...You've never played. Correct answer: "Sovengaard beckoned."Eric Cramptonhttp://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-19736067514164101432013-11-01T15:29:02.767+13:002013-11-01T15:29:02.767+13:00To the big data cloud in the sky?To the big data cloud in the sky?Frank Blacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-29478020586910649482013-10-31T15:52:06.907+13:002013-10-31T15:52:06.907+13:00Hi Dave,
Agree. Shoes also have a tariff on them, ...Hi Dave,<br />Agree. Shoes also have a tariff on them, which explains some of it. <br /><br /><br />With higher valued consumer electronics, the warranty might start mattering. And it's never quite clear whether you can get easy access to warranty services if you ship in a computer from abroad. If it's warranty driving it, then we expect bigger gaps on higher valued electronics regardless of weight, whenever there's risk of needing warranty services. The Dell one is kinda like that. I think Apple's laptops have worldwide servicing, which would also be consistent with a constant price gap. <br /><br /><br />I'd also expect that where large companies with fixed IT policies are your main clients, they're just not going to bother parallel importing computers. They can't tell for sure if the software build will be the same, there could be hassles in integrating it into the company's fleet of machines, warranties will be a problem (although big companies should be self-insuring this stuff - nonsense that it's a problem, but yet here we are). I suppose I could ask around here why I'm not allowed to get a $2000 better machine for the same price as the one that I'd otherwise be getting, but I suspect that "Computer says no" will be the usual answer.Eric Cramptonhttp://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-18695147385947651952013-10-31T05:31:00.085+13:002013-10-31T05:31:00.085+13:00So with parallel importing legal, how can companie...So with parallel importing legal, how can companies get away with such massive price discrimination? Is the after-sale service of going through the official Dell importer really worth <i>that</i> much?<br />My intuition would be that given New Zealand's relative remoteness, the small market size and the need to transport everything, the goods with the highest price differential vs. American/Asian/European prices would be goods with relative high bulk/weight relative to price -- which is why shoes (talking mass-market, not expensive niche brands) and books are so notably more expensive in New Zealand than elsewhere. That shouldn't apply to consumer electronics like cellphones, laptops and tablets. So this Dell situation is counterintuitive -- Eric, how would you explain it?nzdavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-31645390434869308942013-10-30T22:42:39.465+13:002013-10-30T22:42:39.465+13:00Hmmm...yeah. I actually would be scared of messing...Hmmm...yeah. I actually would be scared of messing with that. Losing Netflix, well, better to have had it and lost than never to have had at all. Losing Steam would be sad. How would I explain to the 5 year old where his Skyrim character went?Eric Cramptonhttp://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-8734975062148831022013-10-30T22:37:58.316+13:002013-10-30T22:37:58.316+13:00"You agree that you will not use IP proxying ..."You agree that you will not use IP proxying or other methods to disguise the place of your residence, whether to circumvent geographical restrictions on game content, to purchase at pricing not applicable to your geography, or for any other purpose. If you do this, we may terminate your access to your Account." - Steam Subscriber Agreement<br /><br /><br />Steam heavily price discriminates on a geographic basis. Prices tend to be cheaper in the USA and countries with rampant piracy like Russia.Jacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-59632876709790471752013-10-30T20:07:00.256+13:002013-10-30T20:07:00.256+13:00Yup. Processors are on par too. It's cases and...Yup. Processors are on par too. It's cases and power supplies that wind up getting outta whack.Eric Cramptonhttp://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-54267044606968674782013-10-30T20:06:11.416+13:002013-10-30T20:06:11.416+13:00Steam does that?! What happens if you geomask with...Steam does that?! What happens if you geomask with Hola?Eric Cramptonhttp://offsettingbehaviour.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-56807030657383252062013-10-30T17:46:57.998+13:002013-10-30T17:46:57.998+13:00Interestingly, but not at all surprisingly, the it...Interestingly, but not at all surprisingly, the items that tend to attract the biggest difference in prices are the heavy and bulky ones that are more difficult to arbitrage. Solid State Drives (small and light) don't sell for that much more here in NZ.Jacknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-46276943410718654612013-10-30T17:46:57.424+13:002013-10-30T17:46:57.424+13:00I'd be interested in a wider post on the econo...I'd be interested in a wider post on the economics of this kind of price discrimination - e.g. games downloaded from the steam site (so a digital download, no shipping involved), routinely cost more than twice as much in Australia & NZ as the US, while they are cheaper in Russia & China.Katynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-6571074599640943262013-10-30T16:37:37.696+13:002013-10-30T16:37:37.696+13:00Yes, not only is parallel importation legal here, ...Yes, not only is parallel importation legal here, but we even have, in the form of YouShop, a state-owned enterprise that facilitates it.Tim Makarioshttp://ideophilus.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.com